Eyedropper bottle attachment

ABSTRACT

An attachment for an eye dropper bottle that aids in keeping the person&#39;s eyelids open while the bottle is being squeezed to insert/apply eyedrops into the eye. The attachment comprises two pivotably connected arms having laterally-projecting ears adapted to have edge contact with the person&#39;s eyelids. End areas of the arms can be engaged with the side surface of the person&#39;s nose to hold the attachment in a steady position or the arms can rest on the persons temple area. The squeeze bottle is offset to one side of the eye so that the eye and nozzle area of the bottle are made visible to the other eye.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device usable with a squeeze type eyedropper bottle to keep a person's eyelids open while the bottle is beingsqueezed to spray eye solution into the eye. Many people find itdifficult to keep the eyelids open while putting eye drop solutions intothe eye; I have invented an attachment for an eye dropper bottle thatcan be actuated to automatically keep the eyelids open (separated) whilethe solution is being dropped into the eye.

Prior to my invention at least one device has been suggested for thepurpose of keeping a person's eyelid open during the process ofinjecting solution into the person's eye. U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,750 to B.Bosshold shows an attachment 16 for an eye dropper bottle 10. Theattachment comprises two flexible arms 18 having pads 22 adapted toengage the person's eyelids. Bottle 10 includes a nozzle 12 oriented tospray solution into the space between pads 22. In use of the attachment,flexible arms 18 are squeezed together, after which the attachment ismanipulated so that pads 22 are pressed against the person's eyelids.When the pressure on the flexible arms is released the arms spring apartas shown in FIG. 2; this action causes the eyelids to separate. With theeyelids separated (opened) bottle 10 is squeezed to drop one or twodrops of solution into the eye.

My invention relates to an attachment that is somewhat similar to theattachment shown in the Bosshold patent. However, in my proposed devicethe eyelid-engagement members are formed as thin laterally-projectingears rather than large area pads. In use of my device the elongated armsare oriented laterally to one side of the eye, such that the person isenabled to use his other eye to see the eye being treated. Thisarrangement is different than that proposed in the Bosshold patentarrangement; in the Bosshold arrangement the eye dropper bottle andattachment are positioned substantially directly in front of the eyebeing treated so that it is difficult for the person to use his othereye to see into a mirror to see the bottle nozzle or the liquid beinginjected into the eye.

Another possible difficulty with the Bosshold arrangement is the factthat pads 22 are the only components in contact with the person's eye oradjacent head area; the attachment is steadied against the person's headonly by reason of the pressure existing between pads 22 and the eyelidsurfaces. If the manual pressure is excessive, the person is apt to feelsome pain in the eye being treated. If the manual pressure isinsufficient, the attachment may tend to slip away from the eyelids orbecome unsteady, i.e., wobble or shift back and forth.

My proposed attachment is designed so that end surfaces on theattachment arms can be engaged with the side area of the person's noseto steady the attachment device, or the device can be rested on theouter (temporal) portion of the eye. The arms can be swung toward theperson's eye, using the side area of the person's nose as a fulcrumpoint. Pressure on the person's eyelids can be readily controlled whilethe device is held in a steady position against the side area of theperson's nose.

In preferred practice of my invention, the eye dropper bottle isadjustably positioned on the attachment device so that the distancebetween the bottle and the person's eye can be varied according toindividual desires.

THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken on line 1--1 in FIG. 2, showing oneembodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 shows in dashed lines a partialoutline of a person's eye-nose area, looking down from an imaginarypoint above the person's head.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The drawings show an attachment device 10 for a conventional squeezetype eye dropper bottle 12 having a discharge nozzle 14. Bottle 12 isnormally formed of a flexible plastic material, such that materialpressure on the bottle side surfaces will cause eye solution to bedirected into the person's eye. Arrows 16 in FIG. 1 indicate thedirection such manual pressure would take. Bottle 12 may have a lengthof approximately two and one-half inches, but could be nearly any size.

FIG. 1 shows in dashed lines a person's eye 18, nose side surface 20,and temple surface 22. FIG. 1 is an overhead view looking down on theperson's head. Attachment device 10 is shown with an end surface 25thereof engaged against the person's nose side surface 20 to steady theattachment on the head. Bottle 12 is shown with nozzle 14 near, but outof contact with, eye 18 for discharging liquid solution onto the eyesurface.

Attachment device 10 comprises two elongated arms 24 and 26 spaced aslight distance apart, as indicated by numeral 28 in FIG. 2. Arm 24comprises a flat main section 29 having two spaced parallel right angleflanges 30 at its right end forming a channel section. Arm 26 comprisesa flat main section 32 having two spaced parallel right angle flanges 34at its right end forming a second channel section. A pivot pin 36extends transversely through flanges 30 and 34 so that arms 24 and 26can swing around the pin axis. A wire spring 38 is coiled around pin 36to urge arms 24 and 26 apart.

FIG. 2 illustrates arms 24 and 26 as being moved toward one another bymanual pressure on flat sections 29 and 32. Edge surfaces 35 on flanges34 engage the inner surface of arm 24 to limit motion of the arms towardeach other. When manual pressure on arm sections 29 and 32 is lessenedor removed spring 38 spreads the two arms apart; arm 26 swings away fromarm 24 to approximately the dashed line position 26a in FIG. 2. Cornerareas 39 on flanges 34 strike the inner face of arm 24 to limit theswinging motion of arm 26.

The left end section of each arm 24 or 26 is formed with a laterallyprojecting ear 41 having a relatively narrow edge surface 42. FIG. 1shows the outline of the ear formed on arm 24. The ear formed on arm 26is similarly configured. Edge surface 42 may have a thin rubber stripthereon to achieve a cushioned engagement between the edge surface andthe person's eyelid; also, a silicon adhesive strip may be applied toedge surface 42 to assist in retaining the attachment device inengagement with the eyelid.

In use, the attachment device is positioned so that ear 41 on arm 24engages the lower eyelid, and ear 41 on arm 26 engages the upper eyelid(with the two arms close together as shown in FIG. 2). Release of manualpressure on arms 24 and 26 enables arm 26 to swing to the dotted lineposition 26a, thereby forcing the upper eyelid open. Bottle 12 is thensqueezed to spray one or more drops of liquid into the eye.

Bottle 12 may be adjustably attached (positioned) on attachment device10 by means of adhesive patches affixed to the bottle and to a flange 30on arm 24. As shown in FIG. 1, an adhesive patch 46 is affixed to flange30 an adhesive sleeve 48 is attached to bottle 12.

Adhesive members 46 and 48 are preferably formed of miniature hook andloop materials sold under the trade name VELCRO. Such materials formmultiple miniature interlocking connections when they are forcedtogether; however the materials can be pried apart to break theconnections. It thus became possible to relocate bottle 12 toward oraway from the person's eye. Also the bottle direction can be changedslightly, if desired, to alter the direction of liquid movement into theperson's eye.

Each arm 24 and 26 has a rounded end surface 25 adapted to engage theperson's nose, such that attachment device 10 can be held in a steadyposition prior to bringing ears 41 into contact with eye 18 fordischarging liquid solution onto the eye surface.

With end surface 25 engaged against the side area of the person's nose,the attachment device 10 can be rolled (swung) toward (or away from) theperson's eye, as indicated generally by numeral 27 in FIG. 1. Thepressure of ear edge surface 42 on the eyelids can thus be readilycontrolled.

The drawings show the attachment as used on the person's left eye. Touse the attachment device on the person's right eye the bottle 12 issimply flipped over. A second patch 46a is affixed to the other flange,for flexibility of use.

A principle advantage of my proposed device is the fact that the eyedropper bottle is positioned laterally to one side of the eye beingtreated (rather than directly in front of the eye). The person is ableto use his other eye to see the bottle discharge nozzle 14 and itsorientation relative to the eye being treated.

Another advantage of my proposed device is the fact that it can be heldsteady against the person's nose, while the pressure on the eyelids iscontrolled or varied according to user preference.

The drawings show one form that the invention can take. Other forms arepossible.

I claim:
 1. An attachment for a squeeze type eye dropper bottle,comprising;a first elongated flat arm (24) having an end edge (25)adapted to engage the bridge area of a person's nose, and a laterallyprojecting ear (42) adapted to have edge engagement with a person'slower eyelid; a second elongated flat arm (26) having an end edgeadapted to engage the bridge area of a person's nose, and a laterallyprojecting ear adapted to have edge engagement with a person's uppereyelid; means (36) pivotably connecting the two flat arms for relativeswinging movement around a pivot axis located between the two arms andparallel to their flat planes; each projecting ear extending within theflat plane of the associated arm for edge engagement with a person'seyelid when the arms are extended laterally away from the person's noseand across the eye; said pivot means (36) being located between the twoflat arms at a point remote from said projecting ears, whereby said earscan move appreciable distances toward or away from each other duringrelative swinging movements of the two arms; spring means (36) locatedbetween the two arms for biasing said arms away from each other in theabsence of a manual squeezing force on the arms; and means (46, 48) forattaching an eyedropper bottle to one of said arms so that the sprayaxis of the bottle is normal to the aforementioned pivot axis and acrossthe path taken by the projecting ears during relative swinging movementof the two elongated arms.
 2. The attachment of claim 1, wherein saidattachment means takes the form of adhesive patches carried by thebottle and said one arm.
 3. The attachment of claim 1, wherein said endedge of each elongated flat arm has a curved profile, whereby the armscan be swung toward or away from the person's eye, using the side areaof the person's nose as a fulcrum.
 4. The attachment of claim 1, andfurther comprising two spaced parallel flanges extending right angularlyfrom each elongated flat arm at locations remote from the associatedears; said pivot means comprising a pivot pin extending between saidflanges, with the pin axis extending normal to the flange planes.
 5. Theattachment of claim 4, wherein said attachment means takes the form ofadhesive patches carried by the bottle and one of the flanges.